Author Archives: Eric Francis Coppolino

About Eric Francis Coppolino

Lives in Kingston, friend of critters, etc.

Planet Waves Horoscope for Feb. 16-23, 2017

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Planet Waves Horoscope for Feb. 16, 2017 #1139 | By Eric Francis Coppolino

Note: the following horoscopes are excerpts from the 2017 annual readings for each sign, The Book of Your Life. If you have not yet purchased one or more of these chapter-length, year-ahead readings for yourself, you may order all 12 signs here, or choose individual signs here.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may notice for the first time just how edgy you’ve been feeling, and decide that you need to pull in a little bit, or seek some refuge in the friendly, benefic arms of whatever Jupiter in Libra represents. One possibility is a wise teacher. Jupiter among other things is a representative of your 9th house of ethics and spirituality. I suggest you use this transit to orient yourself on people who set the example of doing the right thing. This is true of any relationship or partnership you’re in. Tap into the knowledge and wisdom of people around you, and focus on the ones who are the most generous with it. Another representation of Jupiter is even more interesting. It also is associated with your 12th house, Pisces. You might think of Jupiter, in one expression, as representing some version of your inner self. This could manifest a number of ways. One is as someone who is in harmony with your deepest inner life. You will encounter people who seem to already know your secrets and have at least a partial map to your hidden world. However, given that we are talking about a planet associated with excessively dualistic Pisces that is in let’s-weigh-and-balance Libra, there’s another side to the story. You will probably have a series of meetings with people who represent your shadow side. These are likely to be the people who irritate you the most. They have something to show you. They will really teach you something about yourself if you’re paying attention. The thing to do is to keep an open mind, be flexible, and try to retain your sense of humor. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

The Book of Your Life, many months in the making, is now available for instant access. This includes extended readings for all 12 Sun signs and rising signs. You can get access to all 12 signs here, or you can get your individual sign here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Taurus is one of the most mental signs. Yes, Taurus is associated with comfort and wealth and nice things and tangible experiences, and it’s also a huge, astounding head-trip. Your ability to get that head-trip under control is one of the most significant factors in your ability to harness your creative force. I’ll keep this short, though I think you’ll appreciate having this information to work with. Gemini is your 2nd solar house, or 2nd house by whole-sign houses if you are Taurus rising. The 2nd house is a direct extension of who you are. It represents your values; first and foremost, what you hold to be true. It also represents possessions including your body, your available resources including your money, the tools of your trade, and your sense of self-worth or self-respect. It turns out that one of the most solid and physical signs has one of the most airy and ethereal 2nd houses. This helps explain why you really have to work to hold onto your money. Gemini flows; you need your money to stick. The best thing you can do is work with the flow: constantly skim from yourself, and deposit your savings into a bank account you don’t touch or even think about. Also, you need to invest in things of lasting value. Finally, remember that your ideas are your most important resource, especially in a year with retrograde Mercury conjunct the Sun when the Sun enters your sign. This emphasizes all things Mercury this year. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Having Pisces as one’s sign associated with career can feel like a first-time author walking into the International Book Show, wondering where she might fit in. Pisces is the great delta of the zodiac that flows out to the vast cosmic ocean. It’s difficult to gain perspective with Pisces, or to notice where you might fit the scenario at hand. In this way, you may experience your highest aspirations as being far from your reach, or beyond your abilities. You might experience your moments of success as something lacking context or significance in the wider scheme of things. Alternately, you may see your own potential as being limitless and containing all possibilities. And then you would need to find access points into that limitless reality. You’re the one who has to negotiate between your potential and what you do with it. This is an active, everyday challenge being a Gemini. The world can seem so much bigger than you are, and in one way it is — but your mind is the thing that encompasses the world, all the world’s people and all your experiences there. That means that your primary growth task is expanding and deepening your consciousness. What you have going for you are several key talents. One is your flexibility, your ability to adapt. You are a master of language, and communicate with nearly anyone. You could get a laugh out of a riot-police officer in full regalia. You have a gleam and charm to your personality that makes you nearly irresistible for others to relate to. This is your passport to all that seems beyond you: converse with it and see where that leads. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The internet is a robot. Humans become like the tools that we create, and humanity is fast becoming an automaton. In fact humans are faster becoming robots than robots are becoming human. Artificial intelligence is not very intelligent, but the artificial stupidity that many humans and society are adopting is indeed disturbing. You need to remind yourself that you are not an android, nor are the people you work for, work with, or provide your services to. This means that in all of your professional affairs, you must do your utmost to be a person — the person that you are. One of the gifts of your sign is your value on what is familial, on what is tactile and what has feeling. These are the assets that you must bring to your work, even and especially if your work is in the digital realm. This translates first to being highly adept within the digital realm, and then to utilizing as many in-person meetings as possible, and telephone or Skype when that is not practical. You want the human touch in everything that you do, and the feeling of quality. Use physical mail whenever you have the chance to do so. Use high-quality paper, handwriting when appropriate, and your very best courtly manners in all that you do. If you have any control at all over this, make sure that humans answer the phone where you do business rather than those annoying interactive systems. In other words, go retro. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — On the day the Sun enters your sign, it does so in a conjunction with several planets, including Mars. Energy, drive, individuality, self-assertion: Mars will help you with all of these. Mars conjunct the Sun in Leo is pure cardio, the pump of vitality. Mars and the Sun are conjunct a little-known centaur planet called Thereus, which has just entered your birth sign and will be with you through 2020. In one manifestation Thereus represents aggression and warriorship, though not necessarily the spiritual kind of warriorship. The message here is to moderate your energy. As the year develops, you may find yourself increasingly driven to conquer, rebel or revolt; a gentler approach will serve you better. The thing to beware of is frustration. By beware, I mean be aware. You will act differently when you’re irritated and when you feel like your efforts are getting you little for your work. That’s the time to stop and think. Thereus has an interesting property of what you might call multiple solutions or multiple workarounds. If you do something not-so-Mars-like — contemplate your situation — you will see that there are many ways through whatever puzzle or maze you’re looking at. You might take as your motto, ‘There is a better way’. When you solve a problem, try to solve it again, only better the second or third time. Look for a more elegant solution. When you see your way through a social pattern, look more closely for additional information or ideas. The ultimate answer to any social puzzle can be found in considering whether or not you feel equal to the people around you, and why. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Transpluto is not a planet but rather a kind of mental phantom, technically called a hypothetical. It exists only in mathematics, in computer programs, and in the minds of some few astrologers. It’s still newly in Virgo, at the beginning of an approximately 75-year journey across your sign. Transpluto would be less meaningful were it not so obviously relevant. It represents the principles of narrowness, contraction, perfectionism and high focus. There can also be a do-it-yourself obsession. Researcher Lynn Koiner describes the ‘reformer complex’ as a key attribute of Transpluto, which can translate in the personal sense to an obsession with self-improvement. When we consider your naturally self-critical nature, all of this tells me you must ease back on these qualities rather than lean into them. You have plenty; your momentum will carry you, if you stay out of your own way. There comes that time in any growth or improvement project where you have to ease back, have a glass of wine or even smoke a cigarette. Radical, I know. However, you’re at a stage of your life where you must follow your own rules, and to do that, your rules must be practical and workable. There’s no point setting goals that you cannot meet. Often Transpluto represents an internalized authority complex: a kind of inner persecutor. Nearly everyone on the planet was born with Transpluto in Leo, which describes a certain pervasive self-esteem complex that we experience on a pandemic scale. The very most important work of growth, of therapy, or of any spiritual process, is addressing this internalized persecutor. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — There is no way to understate the impact of digital life on human relationships. A philosopher named Eric McLuhan wrote recently, “The body is everywhere assaulted by all of our new media, a state which has resulted in deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world. In the age of disembodied communication, the meaning and significance and experience of the body is utterly transformed and distorted.” We are under this influence 24/7, and it’s particularly intense for you at this time, as we’re right in the peak power of the Uranus-Eris formation. Because so much of what you want in relationships involves relating through the body, whether emotionally, physically, aesthetically or as an artist, you might take heed of this idea. Account for the distortion created by fragmented consciousness. Look at your life story. Check in with the people around you. Notice what is different and distinctive about the past five to seven years. Part of the anesthesia we’re all under involves mood-altering drugs, substances that make it difficult to be honest about personal material and which suppress sexual feelings. Whether or not you use these medications, you’re in a world where many, many other people do. Understanding the influence of this would be another item to add to your agenda. Alcohol permeates society like a river running down through the generations and out into the streets. The pressure to be monogamous combined with natural sexual curiosity and a nonstop barrage of advertising and porno can create a toxic mix that turns explosive. It’s amazing anyone has any happiness at all in their relationships, though by some miracle, people sometimes do — and you can. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — One of the most interesting features of what was named the Thoth Tarot is the Scorpio card. This is Atu (key, or major arcana card) XIII or Death. It’s unlike any other death card I’ve ever seen. The main image is a black skeleton, awake and alert, holding a scythe, the tool of the grim reaper. The skeleton seems to be enmeshed in spiral strands that look like puppet strings, and which reach to the upper right corner of the card. Woven into the spirals are what look like fetuses or ghosts. Those represent entities from our genetic past. We are them and they are us. It was not until 1953 that a scientist named Francis Crick made the first accurate sketch of the famous mirroring spirals of the DNA molecule, an understanding of the structure that is still accepted today. Harris and Crowley had come startlingly close to the accurate model a decade earlier. So what is DNA doing in the Death card? And what’s the whole death thing with Scorpio? And what has that got to do with the association of Scorpio and sex? The connection is the theme of your sign: the mysteries of life and death. The presence of DNA immediately implies sex, because DNA is the very substance of sexual reproduction. Let’s consider a couple of other symbols in the card. One detail is that the skeleton is black. When you’re looking at an image and something is drawn the opposite of its usual color, the artist is telling you to pay attention. Most skeletons you see, the dead kind, are white. A black skeleton is sending the opposite message, of life and of existence. So we know that the card called “death” is really about life. And life is conveyed through sexual communion. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — In the Organon, Samuel Hahnemann’s treaties on healing, he says, “If something aggravates, remove it.” You would be amazed (or perhaps not) at what an alien thought this is to many people, despite being so obvious. If something is making you sick, get it out of your environment. If the whole environment is toxic, then you must get out. In Pisces, your 4th house, Chiron points to physical contaminants; Nessus points to emotional ones. These might be a presence in some form now, or one you’re still cleansing from previous experiences. The presence of Neptune, however, complicates matters, by adding the factor of denial. Neptune can act like a substance to which one is both allergic and addicted. It can also anaesthetize one to other problems in the environment. Under one scenario, it’s possible to respond to the signals and the demand for vigilant awareness of Chiron and Nessus by denying them or pretending they’re not there. You will need to navigate these seemingly dissonant influences within you now. Chiron and Nessus serve profoundly important purposes, which involve healing your past and grounding you in the present. Yet if you succumb to Neptune, you will not get the benefits of these influences. Of course, Neptune in the 4th can make a difficult situation tolerable. Though where Neptune is concerned, you want to set boundaries, in particular, time limits. It’s easy for a month, a year, or a decade to get away from you, if you’re not paying attention to time, and working with a concept of your limits. It’s through these types of diversions that we see so many potentially powerful, undeniably creative people waste their lives on chaos, pain, and struggle. You have the power to overcome this, to the extent that it’s influencing you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — For five years, Uranus has been in Aries. Uranus is the most restless and revolutionary planet. It’s the ultimate archetype of disruption. And to the extent that you’ve tried to cling to any notion of yourself from the past, the result has been stressful. In fact if you’ve experienced any meltdowns related to “who you are” and “your family,” you now have a working metaphor to understand them. By far the pressure to change is more potent than anything that might incline you to stay in your shell. The added impact of Pluto through your sign (combined with the series of Uranus-Pluto squares from 2011 through 2014) is making it inevitable that you break free from previous definitions of yourself — from your family or from whatever source — yet you are somewhat stubborn and you do tend to cling to the past. This is, by the way, a tendency affirmed by the inherent past-orientation of Capricorn, and having Aries in a house inherently associated with the past and seeking security there. There is no point clinging. There is no point resisting who you are becoming. It’s long past time to cut the apron strings — no matter whom they are attached to. The ongoing conjunction of Uranus and Eris in your 4th house has raised this to anything from a constant drive to a fevered pitch to moments when you’re utterly frantic to bust into who you are and be who you are. The thing is, your future self is not as easy to perceive as your past self. Every transit I’ve described above adds up to you developing in ways that you simply cannot predict, and which therefore amount to a daunting unknown. In order to face who you are becoming, you must face that unknown. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Often you make the whole experience of your sexuality mental rather than emotional and physical. There are a number of ways this is illustrated in your chart. Try this on: the two houses in your chart that have the most influence over your sexuality are ruled by Mercury. Mercury is the planet of ideas, of talking, of gadgets and, best of all, “the mind of the senses, the consciousness of creatures.” Whatever else we might say about you, you need sex to be a mental phenomenon. That’s good, because everything that happens anywhere happens in your brain. This goes for everyone; however, with house 5 covered by Gemini and house 8 covered by Virgo, your sexuality needs a correspondingly mental and psychological component. You are a perfect fit for erotic writing, sex by Skype, sex by email and, heck, sex by Twitter. You probably discovered phone sex shortly after the invention of the telephone (Mr. Watson! Come quickly!). So, lace your sexuality with hot conversation. Tell it like it is. Fulfill your desire to hear all the details from anyone who will reveal them. Virgo on the 8th is all about the details. It’s also prone to a bit of being hyper-picky and to overemphasizing hygiene. Which leads to Pisces. An important root of sexuality is held in the 2nd house, which covers masturbation. My erotic theory begins with the idea that all sex is based in one’s sexual relationship with oneself. Here, you have the potential for a rich fantasy life, which is good for self-sex. The clit is not really the clit; it’s the brain. With Neptune in this house now, there’s really no limit to what you can imagine. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius and Pisces Birthdays: Eclipse Companions

“When there’s an eclipse on the horizon, every event or development becomes a step on the way into its vortex.”

— Eric Francis Coppolino on Feb. 13

Dear Friend and Reader:

We just experienced a lunar eclipse in the relationship house for Aquarius; in less than two weeks, we’ll get a solar eclipse in Pisces. We’re in The Eclipse Zone.

If you have your Sun, ascendant or even Moon in one of these two signs, how are you stepping into the vortex? Or to put it another way: where are you putting your attention and focus, and what are you noticing as you make those choices?

In every audio birthday reading, Eric draws a clear connection between your present moment and environment, and long-term patterns that stretch into the past and into the future — and which influence your options. So much potential is available to you every minute of every day. Yet with so much distraction and cultural chaos, it’s essential to have someone help you clarify what matters most — and what you can do about it.

If you’re a Pisces (or would like to give a gift to one), you can pre-order the 2017 Pisces Birthday Reading for the discounted pre-order price of $19.97.

This reading will include two audio segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each), plus a tarot reading (either audio or video) and extended written description of your sign. You may download the audio portions and listen as many times as you like as the year progresses.

“I ordered my Sun sign and my Moon/ascendant (same sign). I was blown away by how accurate and useful the information was. I’m on my third reading and it’s turning out to be one of my most accurate astrology readings to date. If you’re on the fence about buying a reading, trust me, it’s high-quality information and outweighs three lattes, two beers, and a month of Netflix.”

— Stefani Quane

If you’re an Aquarius, good news: Your two audio astrology portions are available for instant access. (The tarot segment will publish a little later, and we’ll let you know when that’s ready.) You can still order the Aquarius Reading here for a discounted price; the price will increase again when Eric finishes the tarot portion.

As Eric wrote on Monday, “we’re in the pattern-clearing / pattern-setting zone of the cycle. Think of this as a time to clarify and refine your intentions, to which you commit by taking action.”

Are you ready to take some action?

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. You can listen to samples of the Aquarius Reading here and here — recorded as the lunar eclipse warmed up.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — To celebrate the beauty of this moment calls for total commitment to yourself and to what you are called to do. We live in a time when many commitments are faltering, when the social contract is unraveling, and when the values of society seem to be crumbling. Yet you are in a position to rise to the occasion of your existence. You can answer your calling to live not just with purpose, but also in full accord with your deepest values. That is what it means to be a solid person. Once you’ve experienced that, there’s no turning back because there’s nowhere else to go. One discovery you may be making is just how radical you’ve become. By that I mean the astrology of recent years has fitted you with advanced bullshit filters and a commitment to truth. You are less afraid than ever to express what you genuinely believe. In fact, you may be bolder than ever about expressing who you are. Experience has taught you not only that this is safe, but that it’s the only sane way to proceed through life, especially in times of chaos, strife and deception. Even if you don’t feel like you’ve crossed the whole distance, even if you feel like you have so much more progress to make, if you scan back over the past seven years of your life, you will see the considerable progress that you’ve made, and you’ll get a sense of your trajectory. Some of this progress has been in the outer world, the place where you express your ideas, do your work, and relate to other people. Yet the most precious gift of Chiron’s presence is self-awareness. That includes self-acceptance, and the deep knowledge that your most important relationship is to yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Better Than People Even Understand

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Dear Friend and Reader:

Wow, it’ll be a month tomorrow. It feels like it’s been years. Yes, I thought all of this would happen — in the first three months, not the first three weeks.

Continue reading →

Monday Morning Horoscope for Feb. 13, 2017

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Aries (March 20-April 19) — You’re in an unusual position to see and experience the world from the viewpoint of a close partner. It’s one thing to think you’re doing this; it’s another to actually get into the emotional space to witness what you cannot usually perceive. It takes willingness and some conscious submission. You’ll know you’ve found that spot when the world changes a little, and when you feel the intricate emotional predicament that someone you care about is in. Meanwhile, it helps to listen, to be helpful without being patronizing, and to tread gently on the territory of the relationship. You can also safely assume that you don’t get it, rather than that you do get it. Assuming you understand where someone is coming from, and what they feel, vexes many relationships; but nobody can stop this in your life except for you. In the coming weeks and months you will learn more, if you’re willing to.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You contain many potential expressions of yourself. In a sense, you can be anyone you choose to be. The question is what basis you would have for your choice — and I would say that experimenting is as good a basis as any. Try on being anyone you want to be. Usually this is done with style elements — clothing, hair color and so on. I suggest you experiment with persona and communication style. Mercury in Aquarius is moving across the professional angle of your solar chart. This presents opportunities for leadership, which would happen through you being a kind of group-conscience and communication vector. You are the one who can focus the topic and initiate the conversation. You do indeed have the right idea. But the presentation style you use is important. Make sure you understand your audience before you open your mouth to speak. Underplay how intelligent you are, just a little. Give other people credit for your ideas.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — There are times of the year when you seem to have a wide perspective, as if you’re viewing your life and existence from a mountaintop. Mercury and the Sun are moving through the angle of your chart that relates to your personal vision and your worldview. Slow down and consider your life as a whole. The world may be going insane, though there is such a thing as a future — and many people are waking up to some real priorities. Rather than planning your life, focus its philosophical theme. Get clear with yourself why you’re alive. Then start living for that purpose, and only that purpose, every day. As you do, you will meet people whom you understand, and who understand where you’re coming from. That is the necessary precursor to action. Your language skills suit you to be in a position to take charge of some mission, one that’s truly based on a higher calling. You may be the one among many who hears that calling first.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Last Friday’s eclipse of the Moon took place in the finances and resources sector of your solar chart (called the 2nd house). This is a direct reminder to keep your focus on the money issue, though in truth that relates to something much larger. Many people are self-employed, they aspire to be so, or they must supplement the income from their main gig. Two additional thoughts arise from your 2nd house. One is to use all of your resources. Before that, you need to remind yourself what they are. They include your knowledge, your experience, the tools of your trade and, yes, your money and lines of credit. I reckon you’ve recently had some reminder to be true to your values. You must take the risk of being real, of doing what’s real, and investing in what you know actually matters. Check in with yourself regularly, as in daily, to remain on course.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — What happens in one of the fire signs happens to all of them. And the fire signs are indeed on fire right now, with such amazing events happening in Aries (the Uranus-Eris conjunction, the presence of Venus and Mars) and Sagittarius (Saturn conjunct the Galactic Core and too many minor planets to fit into an article). But what about Leo? Ordinary astrology charts reveal nothing, though that’s not true. A slow-moving mystical point is there, called Sila-Nunam (a binary, co-discovered by my favorite astronomer, Jane X. Luu). I don’t talk about it much, but every time I think of Leo, I think of Sila-Nunam. And what is this thing? Here’s a tidy summary from Wikipedia: “The two components are named after Inuit deities. Sila ‘spirit’ is the Inuit [Eskimo] god of the sky, weather, and life force. Nunam or ‘earth’ is the Earth goddess, in some traditions Sila’s wife. Nunam created the land animals and, in some traditions, the Inuit people (in other traditions Sila created the first people out of wet sand). Sila breathed life into the Inuit.” End of quote. Please tell me if this reminds you of anything about who you are and what you’re doing.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You may be expecting changes in a relationship. That’s because there’s an eclipse of the Sun coming in Pisces, which is your partnership zone. The theme of this eclipse is “see what you’ve been missing.” That insinuates you’ve been living under certain conditions that you cannot identify and may not understand. It’s almost as if, anytime you get a clear view of your life and your relationships, a fog rolls in. Then you see a beacon in the distance, or your psychic GPS starts working again, and you find your way, till the next fog rolls in. What happens over the next few weeks will take you above this cycle, to the level where you have a pulse on what’s actually happening. You will get information about who is in your environment, and how they influence you. You’re likely to get additional data about other environmental factors, anything from sound to light to any toxins that might be present. This is not self-activating information. You must take action; that’s why you’re being shown these things.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — In The Book of Your Life, the 2017 annual reading, I called the Libra chapter “The True Mirror.” The metaphor involves this thing we call the mirror image, which is a reverse-image from what other people see. (This is based on an actual invention, easy to search out.) Your astrology is presenting you with several options here, where your reflection is concerned. In a sense, everyone and everything is your reflection — especially if you take a philosophical view and treat it as such. Whomever and whatever you encounter reveals something about you, to yourself. This is not typical astrology — it’s actually quite unusual, owing to the forthcoming Venus retrograde (developing story; more soon). The world is offering you a perspective of yourself that can, if you let it, change your life, feed your growth and enhance your relationships. Open your eyes and look honestly at what you see. Listen to what people say. Imagine everyone is you, talking to yourself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your chart at the moment is the fusion of art, work and pleasure, meaning sex and other forms of adventure. For most people this doesn’t happen all by itself; work is the last place someone is likely to associate with creativity and passion. There are a couple approaches you can take; both are holistic. First, you can start living as if everything you do is about passion and productivity. Even if you work as a file clerk in an insurance office, you can still do this. You can bring color and personality and curiosity to your work — though if you do, you might find yourself working somewhere else soon. That’s the whole point. Raise and fully inhabit your energy and you’ll find somewhere you belong. The second idea is to take a room in your house and clear out everything but the bed, then move in all your art supplies and musical instruments, and a bottle of wine (or, you know, whatever) and go to town. Do that artist thing and soak yourself in your creative process, every minute that you can. This is what your chart looks like.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — The thing to remember about this time in your life is that you have options. You are never boxed into your reality. Of course, Saturn in your sign may convey the feeling that you’re being held down in some way, though it’s not true. Saturn’s role is to help you give shape and form to your ideals. Meanwhile, Sagittarius’ ruling planet Jupiter is in Libra. These two placements form what’s called a mutual reception: Saturn is in a sign that Jupiter fancies, and Jupiter is in a sign that Saturn fancies. This is a rare and beneficial condition, which is the main reminder that you’re never trapped. You can always find a way to make things work; there’s always Plan B, which may be better than Plan A. So live as if your options are open, and don’t be afraid to commit when the time and place are right. You can still honor your commitments and have the flexibility that you require as a basic mode of existence. Whenever you need another way, say out loud: there is a better way.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Your solar chart suggests you may be feeling edgy, like you’re under some pressure you cannot see or identify, but which is following you around. The reason it’s following you is because it’s coming from inside you rather than some external source. One way to describe it is the sensation that you might lose control at any moment. At the same time, other influences are conspiring to make sure you loosen up your reality and stop keeping such an absurdly tight grip on yourself, particularly your feelings. You’re under cosmic influences that are teaching you to embrace passion rather than avoid it. If you’re playing the approach-avoid game with anything or anyone, ask yourself what you’re feeling guilty about. You’re not being held to the standard of perfection, though that’s different from fidelity to yourself and to your cause. Be faithful and sincere. A little focused intention and effort goes a long way these days.

Aquarius Birthdays 2017

How Will You Use Your Unique Perspective?

“It’s like Eric was talking directly to me. Everything he said is what has been happening. The last year has been a tremendous challenge in pretty much all areas of my life, but the birthday reading gives me hope that I really am on the right track. Thank you for such a great birthday reading, Eric! Longtime Planet Waves fan.”

— S.R.

Dear Friend and Reader:

With Mercury now in your Sun sign or rising sign, you can expect some extra resourcefulness of mind. What will you do with it, in this world that so dearly needs your humanitarian commitment and innovative streak?

How will you use your unique perspective to navigate your deepest desires, your most challenging personal difficulties and your loftiest visions?

In two segments of audio astrology and a tarot reading using the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, Eric will guide you through the major themes and subtler points of your next 12 months in your 2017 Aquarius Birthday Reading.

Your reading is available now, and you can order this intensive audio meditation for only $20.17.

If you’re currently enjoying your written Aquarius reading in the 2017 annual, The Book of Your Life, your birthday audio reading is an incredible companion to it. Eric explores your next 12 months (or more) of astrology from a fresh new perspective — and in a format you can listen to over and over again, whether while driving, enjoying a cup of tea or drifting off to sleep.

“Listening to an Eric Francis reading is very much like having an intimate conversation with a valued friend and mentor.”

— Nora Connaughton

The world is waiting for you, Aquarius — discover how your 2017 Birthday Reading can help you meet it.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

P.S. Not an Aquarius? Give your favorite water bearer this reading as a gift to stoke their curiosity.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Take advantage of the Sun’s last few days in your birth sign. You’re likely to make a valuable connection today that will help you make up for lost time. Make sure you do something very un-21st-century and treat the people you meet with respect, particularly older folks. If you’re too lost in your own head, you could easily overlook the presence of someone who knows quite a bit and would be willing to help you, if only you were to pause and have a real conversation. You cannot just trust to luck, pluck and derring-do. You need to develop human connections and cultivate a relationship where you are the learner and someone else is the teacher. Mercury is currently in your sign, and this is cautioning you to know when you don’t know. The first thing to do, therefore, is stop assuming you know; and instead, open your mind to facts and opinions that you need.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — In a few days, the Sun returns to your sign. Until then, the Aquarius Sun is shining its light on many previously concealed details of your life that you may have overlooked during the past few seasons. You’re getting to see much that you were missing. Persist in that spirit: open up closets, look behind the books on your shelves, go up into the attic and down into the basement and poke around. Be eager to discover all that is unknown and discoverable: then you’ll be able to clear out some space and make room for your new goals and new ideas. This will, if you keep yourself focused, be a year of high achievement and progress toward your professional aspirations. Make sure you have them. Make sure you know what you want to be doing, and where you want to be. But along the way you need to keep your mind clear, which means uncluttering accumulated karma, filling trash bins and letting fresh air and sunlight into dark and musty places.

Aquarius Run, Pisces Eclipse, Quantum Healing

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Two transitions are in the planets at the moment: the Sun is in the last few degrees of Aquarius, set to ingress Pisces Saturday morning; that is followed by a solar eclipse in Pisces about a week later. When there’s an eclipse on the horizon, every event or development becomes a step on the way into its vortex.

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Planet Waves Horoscope for Feb. 9 – Feb. 16, 2017

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Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Planet Waves Horoscope for Feb. 9, 2017 #1138 | By Eric Francis Coppolino

Note: the following horoscopes are excerpts from the 2017 annual readings for each sign, The Book of Your Life. If you have not yet purchased one or more of these chapter-length, year-ahead readings for yourself, you may order all 12 signs here, or choose individual signs here.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — The parity and potential disparity between what is happening in the veiled world of your 12th house (Pisces) and the expressed world of your 1st house (Aries) require special attention and understanding. This is truly a call to integrity in the form of conscious integration of facets of the psyche that often go unacknowledged. What I’m suggesting here is that it’s essential to bring the material of your inner process forward into your daily life, which would include being a more transparent person. And it’s essential that you bring the material of your outer life into your inner sanctum for careful review. This combination of factors, and others I have not mentioned, is likely to have an effect (among many) of focusing your sexuality. You will be perceived, and experience yourself, as more sexual, more appealing, and more desirous. Under these conditions, you must summon a measure of fidelity and intentionality around your sexual expression. This does not mean monogamous, though it certainly does not exclude that potential. Rather, it would be more complete to suggest that you stay in contact with the meaning of every sexual encounter you have, and allow its meaning to reach into the depths of your being. Your ultimate fidelity is to yourself, and it’s only when you feel and live that inner harmony that you can express it to others sincerely and meaningfully. It is rare indeed that people treat their sexuality as an aspect of their spiritual path, much less its core element. That approach would suit you. Eroticism moves energy; it’s inherently creative and a necessary part of life. Yours will be increasing exponentially. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may yet decide that this phase of your life, the Uranus-Eris era from 2010 through 2018, was the time when you really got to know yourself. It may not have felt like it at the time; you certainly have had your bouts with inner chaos and confusion. Yet you have deep motivation to sort yourself out. Now, enter Venus retrograde. Venus is the planet associated with Taurus. (If you know nothing else about your natal chart, definitely find out the details on your Venus placement: house, sign and aspects). Venus will be passing back and forth between Aries and Pisces. Then Venus will ingress Taurus on June 6, and will enter Gemini on July 4. So, including this most essential passage through your own sign, during which you will do much of the integration work, I am counting the Venus retrograde phase as extending from now through July 4. Let’s look at this closely: Pisces is your 11th house. This is where you relate to the public, whether it’s your circle of friends, the people who follow you on social media, or your readers, viewers or listeners if you’re in the media. The 11th describes how you relate to the wider world, and how you feel when you are visible to others. Venus will then transit into your 12th house, where you have a relationship with yourself that only you know about. There, you seem to make a discovery of some kind, which is related to the recent and ongoing fireworks in Aries (Uranus, Eris and other points). You may have the experience of soul retrieval, or making contact with a much earlier version of yourself — someone you will be happy to make contact with, or at least feel grateful because of the healing possibility involved. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you are in business, this may be a genius phase of development for you. You might also notice that you’re feeling somewhat scattered and agitated. This is where grounding comes in, and this looks like you’ll benefit from grounding in purpose. By that I mean invest your energy in staying on task. If you need help doing that, get help. However, purpose is about knowing why you’re doing something, and then doing it. This can take discipline, and cultivating that as a core-level skill will help you. Gemini needs to come to a consensus with itself. You really can feel like you have a committee inside your mind. Consensus is not about settling an argument. It’s best built from the ground up, first by agreeing on core principles. Therefore, that’s the place to start. Understand what is motivating you. Then translate that into priorities, which in turn you can translate into goals. Once you’ve done this work, it will be clear what to do in any situation. Prioritizing is essential, which means knowing what comes first. This takes commitment. For that, refer back to your core values. Now, the Mercury station-direct phase in late April and early May will have the influence of seeming either to awaken you or change your mind. When you encounter a discovery that relates to who you are, that’s the time to pause and re-evaluate your priorities. The essence of mental discipline is the constant focus on your values and your priorities. Know why you’re doing what you do at all times. Check back and make sure something is actually meaningful in the context of what you have determined that you want. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Mars retrograde was particularly poignant for you, as Scorpio is your 5th solar (or whole-sign) house, relating to your ongoing sexual experiment in life, and Sagittarius is your 6th house, relating to your healing process and your most practical version of spirituality. My take on the 2016 Mars retrograde is that it represented an initiation that will take some years to integrate, and that we count it as more of a natal chart feature than as something fleeting. The lessons revealed and the integration called for are ongoing and they are relevant to your growth at this time. The message in your solar chart, with Mars in your sign at the time of the 2017 summer solstice, is to embody the results of what you’ve learned. ‘Embody’ is a strange concept here in the age of disembodiment, though it’s a necessary idea. I’m talking about getting the material out of the abstract and/or intellectual realm, and into the realm of physical activity and lived reality. To do this, you must make decisions and stick with them long enough to test the result. It’s fortunate that Mars in Cancer is about passion; or, better, living passionately. Yes, it indicates strong feelings, yet what it’s inviting you to do is to live with full commitment. Living in peace with your desire is one commitment to make to yourself. As you do this, it will have an influence on your relationships. This is to say, as you raise your energy and commit to being real with what you want, others will take notice. Ultimately the result will be living in your body rather than in your head. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — For many people, it’s special simply to have something they care about, some purpose that drives them, even if they don’t make it their daily occupation. I think the spiritual seat of one’s true work is in the 5th house of creativity. This continues into the 6th house of day-to-day work and service. But the motive for why one would bother getting up every day has to be some creative impulse, which for you is blended impeccably with your spiritual connection. In essence, the secret to doing what you love involves working the connection between your 5th house Sagittarius (where spirituality and art merge into one thing) and your 6th house Capricorn (where you do what you do for its own sake, and to succeed at it for its own sake). The two signs you have on these houses are a perfect fit for meaningful independent employment. Yet the root of this energy, for you, comes from Sagittarius. Creativity is so crucial to Leo because of that spiritual connection. If you’re looking for Goddess or God, look no further than art, however you define art. It’s vital that you define this idea for yourself, and that you dive into some new expressions of the creative divine in your life. What is special about this year is that Saturn makes a long conjunction to one of the most sensitive points in Sagittarius, the Galactic Core at 27 degrees. This one event will cast its light on all the world, and be available to everyone; where it shows up for you is your devotion to your creative process. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Each breakthrough in self-relating is likely to help you feel a little younger. The way we see this is the ongoing transit of Pluto through your 5th house. The 5th is the house of pleasure and adventures in play. It should be the most active house in the life of a kid. In the case of Virgo, with Capricorn here, there’s that element of being forced to take on adult responsibilities or cares before you had a chance to fully imbibe and experience childhood. Pluto continues to open up your 5th house; which is to say, its movement represents experiences that are urging you to live with passion. Remember, this is about experience, not theory; and experience begins with an experiment. You might say that this is an experiment in coming out of your shell. For your objectives, anything that leads you to explore life merely for the purpose of fun is something that will serve you well. If you’re really feeling Pluto, that quest will become a bit obsessive, potentially subverting your usual sense of purpose, which is about living well and living seriously. Passion is about healing. Erotic sharing is about healing. Art is about healing. Humor and diversion are about healing. All of this will contribute to your integrity by allowing you to integrate rather than isolate those states of being. You could say that apart from all the psychological concepts attached to self-esteem, the experience you’re looking for is feeling good about who you are. This is a feeling, not a concept. Rather than strive for the feeling, the thing to do is give yourself the experiences that you want; the experiences that will enrich you and help you develop into your personhood. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — When determining the nature of your character and the necessities of your healing, it would be wise to look for patterns. It’s true that one event may complete the pattern and provide the clue that you need, but it has to be about the pattern — and that’s calling on you to be especially attentive. Venus retrograde begins in Aries and moves back into Pisces. That’s your 6th solar house, or if you’re Libra rising, your 6th whole-sign house. The 6th is the realm of healing, of service and of the good work that you do. Having Pisces on this house makes you sensitive; you are as close to a born artist as it gets. Your creative gift is associated with a spiritual gift, which in turn is about a healing gift. If you’ve ever felt the calling to provide healing through your work, or through your creative flow, I would say that’s worth responding to. And Venus retrograding into Pisces will take you there. This first must be read as a “heal thyself” aspect. It’s taking you deeper than the appearances of your relationships, deeper than self-concept, and deeper than the mirror in any form. Rather, Venus in Pisces is an occasion to feel yourself as a unified being, beyond the projections and the seeming needs of relationship. This can be a moment of genuine relief from the hall of mirrors, true or otherwise. Aries tends to polarize. Pisces is like soaking your body in the ocean and feeling one with it. The single most distinctive and life-changing aspect of Venus retrograde is that it ends in an exact conjunction with Chiron. The precise date is March 4, but leave a margin of about five days on either side for the full threshold. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Perhaps the primary transit is that Saturn is going to spend most of the year conjunct the Galactic Core. This is saying that while spirituality is natural and organic, for it to have meaning in the world takes time and discipline. Where Saturn shows up in one’s chart, there is a focus on business. By business I mean what you do with your precious time, creativity and energy. I also mean the business that you’re in. You know you’re doing the work of Saturn when you love going to work. Do you? Do you have a total investment in what you do, because you relate to its meaning? Sagittarius, which represents your values, demands that you live in a meaningful and relevant way. If you are bored at work, if you are concerned that you’re devoting your energy to something you don’t agree with, if you’re in a position where you must deceive others to make a living — and you’re aware of these things — then it’s time to raise the level of your existence to where you feel that you’re ethically aligned with your own choices and actions. I would propose that being aligned in this way is a foundation of true self-esteem. This is about your life having actual meaning. It’s easy for you to have theoretical meaning; Sagittarius is great at that. But actual meaning? That comes from sustained action and investment in yourself. Saturn and Sagittarius are a tense mix, though Saturn will push these issues until it gets your attention. Saturn is a constant reminder that you must work for what you want to be. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — The 5th is the house of art, playful sex, and games of chance. It’s also the house of children and the kinds of fun that children like to have. You have Aries in this solar house (or whole-sign house), which in part describes why you’re so adventurous; yet Aries can have the feeling of being all about you, and you don’t necessarily need playmates to have a good time. Contrast this with the emotional complexities of the 4th house. With Venus retrograde across Pisces and Aries, you’re allowing a vent from the emotional pressures and healing work of your 4th to enter the expressive realm of the 5th. To me this looks like art therapy, sex therapy or play therapy. If you’re carrying any burdens, stress or tension from the Pisces zone, populated as it is by centaur planets that are making you focus on your healing process, Venus is saying: express yourself. At a certain point healing must become celebrating life, if it’s to be meaningful — or if it’s to have a purpose. What you’re likely to find is that creative self-expression puts you in contact with who you are. There’s plenty going on in Aries right now — it’s the seat of the hottest, boldest and most chaotic astrology in more than 50 years. But Uranus and Eris (which are in Aries) can be alienating and difficult to grasp. Venus makes Aries personal for you. Contact of Venus with Pisces makes it even more personal, and more emotional. Imagine that this course of events is creating an energy conduit from your emotional house of security (Pisces 4th) to that of sex, creativity and play (Aries 5th). If you use this, it will let off pressure. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Pluto has already compelled you to make many changes to the structure of your life, whether this has involved your previously most stable relationships, your home, your profession or, most of all, what you thought was the trajectory of your existence. When we move your charts up to 2017, a few things become apparent. One is that this process is still in full force, and that you’ll encounter some peak experiences of growth and self-discovery. By peak I really mean personal breakthroughs on a level you’ve never experienced. This is indicated by a subtle factor: in the conjunction of Pluto and asteroid Icarus in the most recent Capricorn solstice chart. Pluto gives the depth and the power of change; Icarus describes the craving to do this in big ways. That’s the thing about Icarus: it makes one want that experience of peaking, and its expression is often dramatic. Here’s the thing: Capricorn is like the surface. It’s more about your personality than what you really are. As a personality factor, it would be impressive (and often still is), were Pluto not in your sign revealing something deeper. The real changes from Pluto happen when you open up and something else is revealed. One thing to remember is that your integrity is not linked to your being unchanging. In fact, your integrity is about your ability to change in helpful ways, and not to resist what you need the most. As well, you must be honest with yourself and with others about your uncertainty. It’s all too tempting, in times of profound change, to attempt to cling to some form of fundamentalism or false security. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius Birthdays 2017
How Will You Use Your Unique Perspective?

“It’s like Eric was talking directly to me. Everything he said is what has been happening. The last year has been a tremendous challenge in pretty much all areas of my life, but the birthday reading gives me hope that I really am on the right track. Thank you for such a great birthday reading, Eric! Longtime Planet Waves fan.”

— S.R.

Dear Friend and Reader:

How will you use your unique perspective to navigate your deepest desires, your most challenging personal difficulties and your loftiest visions?

Although you can still pre-order this intensive audio meditation for only $19.97, Eric plans to record your reading soon — which means the price will be increasing soon, as well.

If you’re currently enjoying your written Aquarius reading in the 2017 annual, The Book of Your Life, your birthday audio reading is an incredible companion to it. Eric will explore your next 12 months (or more) of astrology from a fresh new perspective — and in a format you can listen to over and over again, whether while driving, enjoying a cup of tea or drifting off to sleep.

“Listening to an Eric Francis reading is very much like having an intimate conversation with a valued friend and mentor.”

— Nora Connaughton

The world is waiting for you, Aquarius — discover how your 2017 Birthday Reading can help you meet it.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

P.S. Not an Aquarius? Give your favorite water bearer this reading as a gift to stoke their curiosity.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Belief is not only less threatening than reality, it seems more solid, and this has led to our world of people living in bubbles, believing anything they click on — as long as it appeals to them. Now Saturn is about to encounter the Galactic Core. You might say that all of this worldly jetsam and flotsam will be neatly cooked off by this long contact with the Galactic Core. This is religion meeting the religious experience. It is the holy roller actually encountering the Holy Spirit. It’s the philosopher having an experience of unspeakable truth. Whether this manifests for you in a dramatic way is an open question; that it will manifest in some way is a given. This represents a personal change for you; it represents a change in society to some degree (we shall see to some extent); and because this is in a public house in your chart, it represents a reorientation on your relationship to your community. More than anything, though, this event describes a transformation for you personally, and the context in which you relate to the world. Both are changing at the same time. The upshot of this transit is that you know that it’s up to you above all else to have faith in humanity. This is not about idealism or some form of light spirituality. It’s about the actual work of evolutionary growth. It will not be all sweetness and starlight; to do the right thing, and to accomplish what you need to accomplish, you may encounter some of the more shadowy sides of human nature. You will be able to withstand this if you maintain your integrity at all times, and come back to it as soon as you notice you’ve digressed. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — If we take Chiron in your sign as a delegate of Sagittarius (in the context of the quest), there really is no mission, career or vocation: there is you, becoming who you are. I feel like I keep saying this, though this notion keeps coming up in your astrology. You’re not really changing; rather, your inner essence is emerging in a way that is both unstoppable and undeniable. And this you can express as mission. Don’t be deterred. If something seems to be difficult, or taking too long, persist. If funding is an issue, look for innovative ways to get the money flowing. Look for and address waste. And be bold about seeking support. You are perceived as someone in leadership, and you have significant respect from people of influence and high ethical standards. If you need something, ask for it, and don’t spend any time justifying your goals — just state what they are. The relationships between many signs and planets in your chart — including your own sign, plus Libra and Sagittarius, and Venus, Jupiter and Saturn — are the very image of dharma: acting as if to hold the world together. Speaking of holding the world together: for the allegedly laid-back, guitar-strumming, wine-sipping, peace-and-love, noncommittal stoner image that many people have of Pisces, you sure do care about this. You take a formal view of people and society; it’s fair to say that you have inherent respect for the world. This is demonstrated by Capricorn on your 11th house. The 11th house is about groups, and it’s also about your highest ideals. It’s about your standing in the community. And it’s about the revenue you receive from answering your professional calling. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

What Do We Do About These Flesh-Eating Zombies?

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Dear Friend and Reader:

What exactly are we supposed to do? That’s the question. It’s a little like The Onion’s fictional lady, Christine Pearson of Topeka, who baked an American flag cake after 9/11, just so she could do anything at all.

“I had to do something to force myself away from the TV,” said Pearson, 33, carefully laying rows of strawberry slices on the white-fudge-frosting-covered cake, The Onion reported in its first edition after the Sept. 11 incident. Note: The Onion is parody, not fake news; the difference is a matter of intent.

He has human DNA, really.

We can do better than a flag cake. It’s just that these flesh-eating zombies are everywhere: you know, the ones who still think Barack Obama was born in Kenya, or who have Confederate flags flying from their pickup trucks (in Connecticut), or think that all three million people who voted illegally in California were undocumented Mexicans, or who think that the murder rate is the highest it’s ever been, or who are certain that Donald Trump is a thriving, self-made business genius. Hey, he sure is running the country like a business.

Or the women who don’t know what misogyny is, and who voted for someone who bragged about committing sexual assault. Or who think that there really was a terrorist attack in Bowling Green.

You know, the people deeply rooted in their world of alternative facts, who tell us that we are the ones who live in a bubble and laugh about how we didn’t realize what unmitigated assholes they are.

It is frustrating: this thing that sociologists call epistemic closure. There’s a term for it, which in essence means a closed information loop. Someone who watches Fox News and only Fox News, and is convinced that everyone else is deceived, and that no other facts are worth considering, has a closed epistemology. They might claim (and often do) that anything they don’t agree with is a lie.

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Everything You Need to Know

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Dear Friend and Reader:

It’s my policy as the editor of Planet Waves not to frighten my readers. Whatever we report on our pages, we explain in the most evenhanded way that we can, presenting options to choose from. When we think of the concept of freedom, it’s meaningful only in the context of the ability to choose. Conscious choice implies taking responsibility.

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Imbolc: In the Belly of the Stars

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February arrives at the depth of winter in most of the Northern Hemisphere, when we live in the shadow of cold, rain and snow. Within February’s first few days lies one of the four high holidays — or sabbats — of the pagan calendar, called Imbolc in Celtic times. One of the four “cross-quarter days,” its corresponding holidays are Beltane (or May Day, May 1), Lammas (also called second planting in agricultural communities, August 1) and Samhain (also called Halloween, October 31).

Imbolc, also called “Midwinter,” literally means “in the belly,” and at this time we are deep in the belly of winter, held in gestation for the coming spring at the Vernal Equinox around March 21. Imbolc is like the first movements of the fetus preparing for birth. Its precise timing is when the Sun crosses the middle degree of Aquarius, the symbolism of which we will visit in a moment.

Groundhog Day

In the modern world, we associate early February with Groundhog Day, which hardly gives a clue to the importance this holiday held not long ago.

For most people, the day passes unnoticed, except for a photo in the local paper of a cute little critter in Pennsylvania who has wiggled out of his hole for a breath of fresh air, just like he does every other day. His stirring to life in midwinter is symbolic; ground hogs don’t hibernate. The media, oddly enough, are practicing the old tradition of weather divination; all of the cross-quarter holidays are associated with some form of augury or communing with the spirit world.

Imbolc, Agriculture and Aquarius

Astrologers know that Imbolc falls with the Sun at the midpoint of the sign Aquarius, the Water Bearer, who lives today as the astrological symbol of rebellion and eccentricity. As with Imbolc, there are always at least two versions of the story with Aquarius. Is it an air sign or a water sign? (It’s an air sign with water themes and imagery.) Is it ruled by, or associated with Saturn or Uranus? (Traditionally Saturn rules it, but in modern astrology most astrologers use Uranus.) Do those wavy lines represent air or water? (All waves are waves of energy.) Is the Water Bearer a male figure or female? (Probably male, but usually represented female.)

The constellation Aquarius, known to be among the oldest named configurations of stars, stands, according to Catherine Tenant, “with his foot on the head of the great Southern fish, into whose mouth his waters pour.” She traces the god Aquarius back to Babylon, noting that he rules over a huge area of the sky where are gathered the Southern fish, the dolphin, the zodiac fishes (Pisces), the mighty River Eridanus (the River of Night) and Cetus the sea monster. These ancient waters and their primal creatures were “seen as the source of life, through which the Sun passed during the rainy season.”

In the hands of Aquarius, says Tenant, is the Norma Nilotica, the stick used to measure the waters of the Nile River, an important indicator of agricultural success, and hence of survival. In these same rainy days of winter, half-a-world away, the Celts were busy with agricultural matters of their own: doing the earliest preparations for planting in coming spring. A feast marked the waning of winter. Germans in Europe and Indians in the New World were taking stock of how much remained of their winter rations. The ability to manage their food supply was critical to their survival through the remaining weeks of cold.

From Pagan to Catholic

Imbolc was such a powerful holiday for the Celts that the Catholics seem to have piled meaning after meaning on it either to fully co-opt the event, or to obscure the truth. Imbolc coincides with the Catholic holiday Candlemas. Though in early February the days were growing noticeably longer, this was still a dark time, and candles were the only means of lighting the long nights. If there were enough candles, a celebration of light was held, with each window of a house being lit on this night. Candles also held religious value, and this was traditionally the time that the priests of the church took stock of their supply and cleansed their altars. The candle association reaches over to Ireland, where at this time people celebrated a feast in honor of the goddess Brigit (later St. Brigit), a hearth deity whose realm included the fires of purification.

Scholars of church lore know this is also the Feast of the Purification of Mary, held 40 days after the birth of Jesus. This was the Christian interpretation of Mary observing the Jewish tradition of returning to sanctuary and being purified in the Mikvah. Mikvah is the origin of the Christian practice of baptism. The cleansing waters of baptism may also be linked to the Water Bearer symbol of Aquarius.

“Prophesy and purification are the recurrent and symbolic themes of the midwinter festivals,” writes Donna Henes in her book Celestially Auspicious Occasions. “The concept of prophesy is drawn from the foresight and faith that spring, in all its verdant glory, is on its predictable way, even amid the hard, white winter. Purification suggests careful preparations for its coming.”

When the Sun is crossing Aquarius, most of our time is still shrouded in darkness, and we remain, for a while, in the belly of the stars of night. We might be tempted to look to the meanings of Aquarius to help understand this fascinating convergence of holidays and themes, but it seems rather more appropriate to apply mystical and agricultural folklore back to Aquarius, reminding ourselves that its waters bring purification and moisten the land for the first growths of spring. And to keep in mind that we really are in the belly of the stars, gestated, born and living in a mysterious cosmos.

About Eric Francis Coppolino

Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Aquarius Birthdays 2017 How Will You Use Your Unique Perspective?

Aquarius Birthdays 2017
How Will You Use Your Unique Perspective?